LIVE WELL: Rising Earlier

OK, before you read this headline and roll your eyes or claim that you’re not a morning person, believe me, I get it! Before having my daughter, I was always a bear when it came to sleeping. I freaking love to sleep. So I feel you.

Buttttt, I will say, one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself is getting up 30 minutes earlier – especially when I was working and commuting. So many of us wake up in a frantic way, and then rush through our morning routine and to the office, that by the time we get home, we haven’t even had a true moment for ourselves. Not healthy, ppl!

By waking up and giving yourself 30 minutes extra, it’s insane the impression your morning tone can leave the rest of your day. Whether you spend those minutes giving yourself more time (as in being able to shower for more than 3 minutes) or implement a wellness practice or two, it’s SO nice.

Personally, I love meditating in the morning and then slowly drinking my coffee/tea – though it wasn’t something I always did, because I “didn’t have enough time”. And then I started waking up earlier to give myself that precious time and it changed my life. My mornings were mine, and it was a pleasure starting the day in a chill, intentional way – instead of going on auto-pilot until after I got home that night.

If you have a hard time getting up, set your alarm for 5 minutes earlier for a week, then 10, then 15 and so on – until you hit 30. Put your phone on the other side of the room to make yourself physically get up if you’re a snooze queen (been there!). Also, keep your phone on airplane mode until you’re fully done getting ready, so that the morning stays yours, sans distracting notifications on your phone. Experiment with the extra minutes and see which practices feel best for you, but I promise, once you start having a longer morning, you won’t look back.

I’ve heard that this is even better as a parent because you actually have time before the kids wake up or responsibilities start – so I’m excited to keep this going as our daughter grows.

Anyone willing to set their alarm earlier from now on? Let me know if you do, and how it goes!